End of Days (film)
| producer = Armyan Bernstein Bill Borden | cinematography = Peter Hyams | editing = Steven Kemper | studio = Beacon Pictures | distributor = Universal Pictures | released = November 24, 1999 (USA) | music = John Debney | runtime = 122 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $100 million | gross = $212 million }} End of Days is a 1999 American supernatural action horror film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, Kevin Pollak, Rod Steiger, CCH Pounder, and Udo Kier. The film follows former New York Police Department detective Jericho Cane (Schwarzenegger) after he saves a banker (Byrne) from an assassin, finds himself embroiled in a religious conflict, and must protect an innocent young woman (Tunney) who is chosen by evil forces to conceive the Antichrist with Satan. The film was released by Universal Pictures on November 24, 1999. It has grossed $66.9 million in North America and $145.1 million elsewhere, for a worldwide total of $212 million. The film received mainly negative reviews. Plot In 1979 a priest at the Vatican sees a comet arching over the moon (described as the "eye of God"), heralding the birth of one chosen to be the mother of Satan's child. The priest is sent on a mission by the Pope to find and protect the girl from Satan, although a few Vatican knights (led by a corrupt cardinal) insist that she must die. In New York a newborn girl, Christine York, is identified by Satanists (including her physician, Dr. Abel, and her nurse and future guardian, Mabel) as the person chosen to bear Satan's child on New Year's Eve, 1999. The Satanists perform occult rites on the newborn. In late 1999, Satan possesses an investment banker in a restaurant; he then destroys the restaurant, killing many inside. Suicidal and alcoholic former police detective Jericho Cane, depressed since his wife and daughter's contract killings, works for a private security company and blames God for his plight. Jericho and co-worker Bobby Chicago are assigned to protect the possessed banker. A priest, Thomas Aquinas, unsuccessfully tries to kill the banker. Jericho captures Aquinas, who tells Jericho: "The thousand years has ended, the dark angel is loosed from his prison" and says that a girl is central. Jericho shoots Aquinas, who is arrested by the New York Police Department. Marge Francis, an NYPD detective and Jericho's former colleague, tells him that Aquinas has no tongue. Jericho and Bobby investigate on their own, learning that Aquinas was trained at the Vatican and was sent to New York before disappearing. Jericho questions Father Kovak, a priest who knew Aquinas. Kovak asks Jericho if he believes in God; when he says no, the priest tells him that Aquinas was driven mad by forces an atheist could not understand. They go to Aquinas' apartment, where they find his tongue in a jar and messages and symbols written in apparent blood on the walls. Marge arrives, forcing them to leave. Satan infiltrates Aquinas' hospital, and crucifies him on the ceiling. Although he survives, he is shot by a Satanic police officer. Jericho and Chicago see Latin words and "Christ in New York" scratched into Aquinas' skin, and begin searching for Christine York. Jericho and Chicago find Christine in her apartment, saving her from murderous Vatican knights, and Mabel refuses to bring her to Satan. Satan arrives and blows up Chicago's van, killing him. Satan enters the house and kills Mabel for failing him; Jericho and Christine escape. Marge and another officer, both Satanists, tell Jericho to surrender Christine. Jericho kills them, but Satan resurrects Marge. Father Kovak tells Jericho and Christine that Satan must impregnate her between 11 pm and midnight on New Year's Eve to usher in the "end of days". Christine accepts Kovak's protection. Satan infiltrates Jericho's apartment, showing him a vision of his family's murder. Jericho throws Satan through his apartment window, and Chicago appears. At the church, the cardinal and his knights try to kill Christine and Satan kills the Vatican clergy. Chicago tells Jericho and Christine that he is in league with Satan. Kovak rescues Jericho, and Satan kidnaps Christine. Jericho rescues Christine and again kills Marge. Chicago stops Jericho, who persuades him to fight off Satan's influence; Satan burns him alive. Jericho escapes with Christine into a subway tunnel. He fires a grenade at Satan, who leaves the banker for a new host. Jericho and Christine escape to another church, where he renews his faith in God and prays for strength. Satan confronts Jericho as a massive, winged creature and possesses him. Jericho attempts to rape Christine, who tries to escape before Jericho deliberately impales himself on a sword protruding from a statue. At the stroke of midnight God frees Jericho's dying body, sends Satan back to hell and the world celebrates the new millennium. Jericho and Christine see his wife and daughter waiting for him in the afterlife. He dies in peace, and Christine waits with his body for the authorities. Alternate ending An alternate ending was filmed in which Jericho returns to life after being impaled on the statue's sword and leaves the church with Christine, but test audiences preferred the original version. The ending was used in the film's novelization.http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=3110&s=interviews Cast * Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane * Robin Tunney as Christine York * Gabriel Byrne as Satan (The unnamed banker) * Kevin Pollak as Bobby Chicago * C. C. H. Pounder as Det. Marge Francis * Derrick O'Connor as Thomas Aquinas * Miriam Margolyes as Mabel * Udo Kier as Dr. Abel * Victor Varnado as Albino * Mark Margolis as The Pope * Rod Steiger as Father Kovak * John Timothy Botka as the Satanic police officer * Marc Lawrence as Old Man * Michael O'Hagan as Vatican cardinal * Denice D. Lewis as Emily Cane * Renee Olstead as Amy Cane *Jonny Bogris as Skateboarder * Mo Gallini as Monk (as Matt Gallini) Production Directors Sam Raimi and Guillermo del Toro were offered End of Days, but turned it down due to other projects. Marcus Nispel was going to direct the film, but he left because of budget and script problems and was replaced by Peter Hyams. The role of Jericho Cane was written for Tom Cruise, but he chose to work on Magnolia and Arnold Schwarzenegger was then cast. Liv Tyler was the first choice for the role of Christine York, but she declined over contractual issues. Kate Winslet was then set to play the character, but she dropped out and Robin Tunney replaced her. According to Hyams, Jim Cameron was the kind of godfather of me doing that film, because of his relationship with Schwarzenegger. He told me I was doing it! ... End Of Days was going to be Marcus Nispel, but it wasn't working somehow, but they had Arnold and a start date, and Jim came to me and told me I had to do it. This was the first picture Arnold had made for a couple of years. I think he had a heart thing. So this was Arnold coming back. And he wanted to try to make something good, and to take some chances. I applauded that. And we had very, very good actors around him, like Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Pollak and Rod Steiger. It was a very enjoyable experience. Half way through shooting I told Arnold I thought he should die in this movie. Of course Universal blanched at the idea, so I shot the ending both ways, and everybody agreed that the dying ending was the better one.[http://www.empireonline.com/features/peter-hyams-film-by-film/p8 "Peter Hyams Film by Film" Empire] accessed 30 July 2014 Reception End of Days received mainly negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 11%, based on reviews from 101 critics. Metacritic gives it an average score of 33/100, based on reviews from 33 critics. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale. The film grossed $66,889,043 in the United States and about $212 million worldwide, against a budget estimated at $100 million. Although it was profitable because of strong international revenue and DVD sales, its final numbers fell short of Universal Studios' expectations. Schwarzenegger received a salary of $25 million for his role in the film. End of Days was nominated for three Razzie Awards—Worst Actor (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Worst Supporting Actor (Gabriel Byrne) and Worst Director—and was pre-nominated for Worst Picture, but it was withdrawn shortly before the awards ceremony. Schwarzenegger later said he thought Hyams was "the wrong director" for the film. "He did not have the potential… I think visually and intellectually to really do something with that movie, but he was recommended by Jim Cameron, so we thought "Well he must know."" Soundtrack }} |title=End of Days - Original Soundtrack|publisher=Allmusic}} |rev2 = Entertainment Weekly |rev2score = B+ }} The film's soundtrack primarily contains tracks by alternative metal and industrial rock bands. It features the first song released by the "new line-up" of Guns N' Roses, the industrial-rock "Oh My God". During ''End of Days editing, soundtrack songs were overlaid in scenes that are typically silent in thriller films. A sample from Spectrasonics' "Symphony Of Voices" is heard in several scenes. The score for the film is composed by John Debney and conducted by Pete Anthony. ; Track listing See also * List of American films of 1999 * Arnold Schwarzenegger filmography * Christian eschatology References External links * * * * Category:1999 films Category:1990s action thriller films Category:1999 horror films Category:1990s thriller films Category:American films Category:American action thriller films Category:American supernatural horror films Category:American thriller films Category:Beacon Pictures films Category:Apocalyptic films Category:Films about cults Category:Demons in film Category:Dystopian films Category:The Devil in fiction Category:English-language films Category:Films about widowhood Category:Films directed by Peter Hyams Category:Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department Category:Films produced by Armyan Bernstein Category:Film scores by John Debney Category:Films set in 1979 Category:Films set in 1999 Category:Films set in New York City Category:Films set in Vatican City Category:Films set in religious buildings and structures Category:Films shot in New York City Category:Films using computer-generated imagery Category:Incest in film Category:New Year films End of Days Category:Satanism in popular culture Category:Films about spirit possession Category:Universal Pictures films Category:Action horror films Category:American horror films Category:1990s action films Category:American action films